The fallacy of Fergie's knockout excuse

Sir Alex Ferguson blamed Manchester United's shock Champions League exit on the fact that he's rebuilding a young team for the future.

But as Mail online's research reveals, United have the second most experienced team of the four English sides in this season's Champions League. And Fergie's 'boys' were the only side to fall at the first hurdle.

The average age of the United first team that faced Benfica was 27.4 - nearly two years older on average than the Chelsea team that drew with Liverpool.

Only Arsenal's first team, with an average age of 27.9, has more experience than Fergie's men.

The statistics contradict Ferguson's claims following the Benfica defeat that: "We are rebuilding at the moment and hopefully these players will mature and become great players."

In fact, only three of Ferguson's starting 11 - Rooney, Ronaldo and O'Shea - are younger than 25. Hardly a team chock-full of youth.

See the starting XIs and their ages below:

MAN UTD

Van der Sar - 35

Neville - 30

Ferdinand - 27

Silvestre - 28

O'Shea - 24

Ronaldo - 20

Smith - 25

Scholes - 31

Giggs - 32

Rooney - 20

Van Nistelrooy - 29

Average team age: 27.4

CHELSEA

Cech - 23

Ferriera - 26

Carvalho - 27

Terry - 25

Gallas - 28

Gudjohnsen - 27

Essien - 23

Lampard - 27

Duff - 26

Robben - 21

Drojba - 27

Average team age: 25.5

LIVERPOOL

Reina - 23

Finnan - 29

Hyypia - 32

Carragher - 27

Traore - 25

Sissoko - 20

Hamann - 32

Gerrard - 25

Garcia - 27

Riise - 25

Crouch - 24

Average team age: 26.3

ARSENAL

Lehmann - 36

Lauren - 28

Toure - 24

Campbell - 31

Cygan - 31

Pires - 32

Fabregas - 18

Silva - 29

Ljungberg - 28

Van Persie - 22

Henry - 28

Average team age: 27.9

*All starting XIs from this week's Champions League, except Arsenal who didn't play a full strength side. Arsenal's first XI is from last weekend's Premiership match with Bolton.